Method and mechanism for lubricating locomotive driving rod journals



p 1933- R. s. WILLIAMS METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR LUBRICATING LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING ROD JOURNALS Original Filed July 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 19, 1933. R. s. WILLIAMS Original Filed July 8. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi Q Patented Sept. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR, LUBRI- CATING LOCOIHOTIVE DRIVING ROD JOURNALS Roger S. Williams, Leonia, N. 3.

7 Claims.

My invention relates to oiling and greasing systems for lubricating bodily movable parts, the present application being a divisional of my copending application, Ser. No. 204,167 filed July 8, 1927 now Patent No. 1,784,405 of December 9, 1930 and the invention having more particular reference to joints for connecting ducts along the relatively movable parts.

A purpose of my invention is to provide a desirable form of multiple conduit flexible joint between spaced sections of angularly movable multiple conduits, aifording continuous passage between the individual conduits of one section and the corresponding conduits of the other section.

A further purpose is to join individual supply pipes for lubricant through grooves and passages in cooperating hinge members to distributing pipes leading to other hinge connections or to individual bearings.

A further purpose is to carry individual distributing pipes upon the movable side bar and connecting rod of a locomotive and to connect the individual distributing pipe through movable joints across the relatively movable parts from the bar to the rod or from the rod to a fixed memher.

A further purpose is to heat a plurality of ducts which pass through swinging joints by steam transmitted through one of the ducts.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by one form only, selecting a form which is practical, efiicient and reliable and which at the same time illustrates the principles involved.

Figure 1 is an outline side elevation of a loco-- motive showing my invention applied to it.

Figure 1a is a fragment of a modification.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the structure seen in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly in section, showing the structure seen in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section of one of the joints seen in Figure 2, the section being taken parallel with the paper in that figure.

Figure 5 is a top plan view and partial section of the structure seen in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of one of the members seen in Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 7 is an end elevation of another of the members seen in Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a section of Figure 7 corresponding to line 88 of that figure.

Figures 9 and 10 are elevations of washers shown in Figure 4.

Figure 11 is a section upon line 1l11 of Figure 4.

Figure 12 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of one of the individual bearing sections of Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 13 is an enlarged section of Figure 2 upon line 13-13.

Figure 14 is an enlarged section of Figure 3 upon line 14-14.

Figure 15 is a bottom plan view of the structure 5 sec-n sectioned in Figure 14.

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

The locomotive shown is provided with the usual cross head 16, guides 17, connecting rod 18, side bar 19, driving wheels 20 and driving wheel crank pins 21, 22, 23 of which 22 is extended as usual to afford bearing for the end of the connecting rod opposite that having bearing on the cross head pin 24.

All of these pins and their surrounding bearings in the bar and rod have movements of translation making it difficult to supply oil or grease to them, with the result that they sometimes fail of lubrication and heat excessively, causing a loss of power and injuring the bearings. This is a rather frequent source of serious trouble in engine lubrication.

My invention is intended to overcome this by providing an individual lubricant supply to each of the bearings through joints which keep separate the several lubricant supply lines for the respective bearings.

Starting with any suitable reservoir, preferably an oil reservoir 25, I may carry the lubricant, whether oil or grease, part of the way in bulk as through a pipe 26 or may separate it into individual tubes or ducts beginning at the tank.

In this latter case the pipe 26 would still be used for protective purposes and in either case the pipe connects with one of the joint members making up the first hinge of my series of hinge connections. Assuming that the individual ducts or tubes start at the tank 25 the pipe 26 and 100 the tubes or ducts 27 contained in it are alike connected to a fitting 28 having openings corresponding with the tubes or ducts, so that these openings may be connected through a washer 29 with one of two cooperating hinge members, 105 here shown as a strap 30. The connection is made bycoupling 31. The washer is provided with openings 32 so located and of such shape as to match up with passages 33 in the boss 34 of this strap hinge member. The passages 33 connect with corresponding individual grooves 35 in a mating hinge member 36.

The inner member is here shown as a cylinder and the strap turns about it. The cylinder is provided with individual passages 37 connecting the several grooves with separate ports 38 opening about the circumference of the hub or hubs 39, 39'.

Connection is made with these ports 38 through passages 40 in a yoke 41. The passages terminate within a boss 42 where they are connected through apertures 43 of a washer 44 with openings corresponding with individual tubes or ducts 45 in a fitting 46. The fitting is secured to the boss by a coupling 47 and the pipes space and support the joints, one with respect to another and at the same time protect the tubes or ducts.

The yoke is split at 48 and the parts are clamped together about the inner hinge tube connector by bolts or studs 49.

Leakage between the inner and outer hinge members axially of the members is taken care of by discs 50 fastened to one of the members and carrying glanded packing 51 protecting the joint between them.

This joint is intended to illustrate one form only of a considerable variety of forms of hinged connections by which individuality of gravity or pressure streams passing through the hinge is maintained while movement of the group of tubes or ducts at each end is provided. It may be used to transmit grease or oil through as many tubes or ducts as there are grooves in the outer and inner coupling members and permits pressure to be maintained where desired. Joints of this or similar character are intended to be shown at 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 and 57, each set providing a scissors-like connection in which the individual tubes or ducts receive separate supply through the connection and are protected by the pipes 58, 59, and 61.

The joint 52 is mounted upon a fixed support 62. The joints 54, 55 are carried by the connecting rod and joint 57 is carried by the side bar.

The connecting piping 58, 59 and 60, 61, with the three joints 52, 53, 54 and 55, 56, 57 forms in each case a scissors-like connection which opens and shuts with increase and decrease in the distance between the parts or in the angle between the rods so as to accommodate these movements without disturbing the connections between the individual tubes or ducts 27 on one side at each joint to the corresponding individual tubes or ducts 45 upon the other side at the same joint.

Pipe section 63 connects joint 54 with a distributor 64 by which the most of the tubes are merely supported and passed through to protective pipe 59, but from which one of the tubes 45 is taken out through an opening 65 and pipe 66 to connect with lubricator 67 carried by the connecting rod.

The T distributor is split at 68 and the parts are held together by bolts 69.

The several protective pipes are firmly supported upon the connecting rod and side bar by straps or clamps '70, '70 of which the latter are shown enlarged in Figure 18. The support of the protective pipes in turn supports the attached distributors and members of the swinging joints.

Pipe 59 leads from distributor 64 to a second distributor 64 where a tube or duct is taken out through protective pipe 66 connecting with lubricator 71.

The remaining tubes or ducts are connected through protective pipe 63 with one of the relatively swinging members of joint 55 and, through the successive joints 55, 56 and 5'? connecting pipes 61 and 61 and pipe 66 to a further distributor 64 At this distributor the tubes or ducts enter the distributor through a stem connection and pass out through opposite ends and through a side outlet, a single tube or duct extends through pipe 72 to bearing '73 and the others, through pipes 74 and 75 to bearings 76 and 77.

One of the bearings is illustrated in Figure 12. A pipe 73 is connected to a fitting '78 with which the supply tube 45 is also connected. This fitting is secured by coupling '79 to an exteriorly threaded conduit 80 screwed into the bar. The lubricant in the bearing may be maintained under pressure by use of a suitable threaded cap 81.

It will be evident that I provide individual connection from any desired point, preferably the reservoir to the bearings to be lubricated, passing through elbow connectors comprising hinges having individual passages and tubing connecting these passages; obviously as many of these elbow connectors can be used as may be desired.

It will be further evident that the surrounding piping performs a very desirable double function in protecting the tubing and in spacing, stiffening and sustaining the several hinge joints, but that it can be omitted where these functions are unnecessary or are otherwise performed.

As indicated, my system is suitable for gravity feed and also for pressure feed. Grease, of course, requires pressure feed and larger passages than required for oil. Where there is no back pressure to prevent free flow of the oil, gravity oil feed may be provided; but this again is a function of the flow characteristics of the oil. A heavy oil would move slowly and might require pressure where a lighter, thinner oil would flow freely. Again, a warm oil would flow more freely than a very cold oil.

Where the oil is heated, or where gravity feed can be relied upon for other reasons, I prefer to control my gravity feed by individual valves 82 and pass the oil through drip cups or sight feed indicators 83, so that the amount of oil fed may be definitely determined and may be vertified at any time.

My invention possesses the additional advantage that the entire system may be heated easily by the simple expedient of utilizing one of the normal ducts, or a special duct, to carry steam through the pipes such as 26, and through the swinging joints to any point or points of distribution desired. Where it is the desire to warm up the swinging joints only, the tube or duct may discharge to the atmosphere as soon as the last swinging joint has been passed.

I show connections for applying the steam and for exhausting it in Figures 1 and 2, where a T 64: supplies steam to one or more of the communicating ducts 45, from a cab source of steam supply 85 through a pipe 84. The ducts carrying steam may desirably parallel the lubricating ducts and follow through the swinging joints and to the point where lubrication is to be applied close to the respective lubricating duct.

Valve 86 controls the steam supply and the steam pipe discharges at any point 87. If the weather is not sufiicien tly cold to require that a steam tube shall follow each lubricating duct to the point of application of the lubricant, I can of course provide a steam tube to follow a given lubricating duct through part of its length, or to follow several lubricating ducts to the point Where they separate.

I show a reservoir as a convenient source of supply whether the feed by gravity or by pressure upon the surface of the oil within the reservoir. However, it is of course obvious that the pressure source of supply may be of very different character such as by direct pump feed.

It is also obvious that the actual flow of lubrication, most desirably steady in its application to the bearings may be intermittently applied without departing from the invention described.

Intermittent lubrication feed would obtain a part of the benefit of my invention by filling the oil cups or other containers at the bearing at the intervals determined upon, whether the time determination be automatic or not and would merely not take full advantage of the benefits of my invention.

With the above reasons in mind I have referred in my claims to a source of pressure supply rather than to a reservoir and have generally omitted reference in the claims to the question of whether the feed be continuous or discontinuous.

Though I have described the best form known to me under the requirement of the statute in the special hinge joint illustrated, I recognize that there may be great variety in these joints with recognized advantage for some purposes in each of the different forms.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A joint for connecting individual inlet and outlet ducts and maintaining separate connections between them during movement of the parts of the joints, comprising a pair of juxtaposed hinged members having engaging faces provided with passages, with the individual passages of one connected with the individual passages of the other at all times and inlets and outlets respectively to and from the individual passages adapted for connection to the ducts one of the inlets and outlets being a steam connection whereby the joint is heated by the steam passing through it.

2. A joint for connecting individual supplies of lubricant from a source of lubricant to bearings to be lubricated, comprising an inlet member and an outlet member, one having a cylindrical grooved body and interior passages connecting therewith adapted for connection with ducts and the other a strap movable about the grooves and passages terminating adjacent the grooves, one for each groove, and adapted for connection with ducts.

3. A flexible joint for carrying lubricant between points differing in separation from each other comprising a pair of arms pivoted to the respective connections pivoted to the separated ends of the arms and connecting joints between the arms and their connections and between the arms where they meet, each comprising a pair of relatively hinged members, one of each pair having individual inlets and the other pair individual outlets and having passages in one member continuously connecting with individual passages in the other whereby the arms are given flexibility both at their juncture and at their opposite ends maintaining connections through notwithstanding swinging movement of the arms at all three of the joints indicated.

4. A flexible joint for carrying lubricant between points differing in separation from each other comprising a pair of arms pivoted to the respective connections pivoted to the separated ends of the arms, connecting joints between the arms and their connections and between the arms where they meet, each comprising a pair of relatively hinged members, one of each pair having individual inlets and the other pair individual outlets and having passages in one member continuously connecting with individual passages in the other whereby the arms are given flexibility both at their juncture and at their opposite ends maintaining connections through notwithstanding swinging movement of the arms at all three of the joints indicated, lubricant connections for forcing lubricant through some of the passages and steam connections for forcing steam through one of the passages.

5. In lubricating equipment, multi-passage conduits and a knuckle joint connection therebetween including a yoke and pin terminal of one conduit and a sleeve terminal of the other conduit, a sleeve portion of the second terminal having a pivot bearing on an intermediate portion of the pin of the first terminal, said first terminal having passages from longitudinally spaced points of the pin at the inside of the sleeve into the individual passages of the one conduit, one of said pin and sleeve bearing members having circumferential grooves at said points intermediate the pin and sleeve and said second terminal including passages from said grooves to the individual passages of the other conduit.

6. A joint for connecting individual supplies of lubricant from a source of lubricant to bearings to be lubricated, comprising an inlet member and an outlet member, one having a cylindrical grooved body and interior passages connecting therewith adapted for connection with ducts and the other a strap movable about the grooves and passages terminating adjacent the grooves, one for each groove, and adapted for connection with ducts and an adapter plate having openings on one of its faces adapted to register with the shapes of the openings in the cylindrical body and on its opposite face adapted to register with the shapes of the openings in the strap.

7. A joint for lubricating comprising a pair of relatively hinged members, one having a cylindrical grooved body with circumferential grooves passing entirely around the cylinder, a strap movable about the grooves and having passages registering with the grooves, a yoke comprising a fork and a shaft, passages within the fork in register with the circumferential grooves and forming connection with passages in the shaft portion.

ROGER S. WILLIAMS. 

